The Blue Spirit
by JulySam
Summary: Everyone knows the Blue Spirit is Zuko's alter ego. But when Katara is enticed by him each time she's alone, is it really Zuko? How far will Katara go to end this once and for all? Zutara. R&R please!


~THE BLUE SPIRIT~

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Royal Blue

Everyone always thought there were only two types of blue: dark blue and light blue.

_Wrong._

When you think about it, there are hundreds-- maybe even thousands. The blue of the sky. The midnight blue that's painted behind the full moon. Even the ocean water at dusk. More importantly, it's the color of our blood, which most people forget to recognize.

_Never forget that._

Blue is a beautiful color. But it's also powerful and mysterious; you never know what's waiting on the other side. Whether or not it's lovely, or if it's lethal…you have to take your chance. You have to think on a moment's notice and go with your gut feeling.

_Think fast._

Some may say, "Well, it's just a color…", but it's not just a color. All the wonders and danger of it…so alluring and hesitant.

_So alluring and hesitant…_

---

The Blue Spirit. Strong, definitely, but also a lost soul. Dangerous and deadly, wanted by the Fire Nation for some type of mutiny (which most do not know of) against the nation.

A mysterious wooden mask painted white and blue with a smile so cunning…and yet, demeaning and demanding. Just the look of the face and the stories people hear about him were enough to scare them off. His broad swords, so perfectly used and drawn.

In a way, even when you cannot see the somewhat-of-a-villain's face, he is still handsome and striking. How he mysteriously stalks with his dodgy, stealthy movements. You can't even tell whose side he is on: the Fire Nation's or the rest of the world's.

But Katara knew better; Zuko had told her the story. And so she knew the Blue Spirit was nothing more than a façade…Zuko's alter ego, technically. That's all the Blue Spirit could live up to be...

...Right?

---

"I'll be back in a little while," Katara waved to the group as she grabbed her bag and trotted away to the market for some fish and fruits, but more specifically and secretive, to look for any new water bending scrolls to learn from.

Katara strolled briskly through the small patch of woods separating her from the market, humming a soft, quaint tune.

"Three more fish, please," Katara handed the familiar old man two small coins. After staying camped in the area for the past four and a half days, she had become acquainted with the old man, but never good enough to ask his name. It was a need-to-know basis and names weren't required for that.

"Thank you," Katara used her sweet voice as she scooped up the fish and dropped them into her basket. She tucked the basket underneath her arm and walked some more until she found a promising shop that looked like the type to own a water bending scroll or two.

The shop was small, stuffy and dusty with jewels encrusted with grime and creepy-faced masks. One looked oddly familiar, but not enough for her to go check out. She walked over to the cases of scrolls and pulled a few out, checking them all until she found the kind she was searching for.

Katara slid it open, anticipation and adrenaline rising. She slowly frowned, eyeing each individual water bending stance.

Nothing new.

Katara rolled her eyes and sighed helplessly, letting the thin paper roll back up. In one way, she was glad to know she was more advanced than that. On the other hand, there was nothing new to learn.

Katara looked around the shop. Ominously, she was the only one there in that dark, suffocating space…not even the owner was there.

A warm, scruffy hand slid over her mouth from behind and she was dragged out the back door into a dark alley.

"Poor little Katara," the sultry young man whispered into her ear, "can't even respect someone's hard work and good effort. Sounds a little narcissistic, yes?"

Katara watched closely from the corner of her eye, and saw the dark eye and blue mask and could swear she saw a devilish grin under it. Katara's pupils got larger as she realized the mask was identical to Zuko's Blue Spirit mask.

Was Zuko attacking her?

"You need a lesson in loving _everything you do_," his voice slanted into a drifting whisper, his fingers lightly brushing against her waist and then to her lower back.

She wasted no time as she secretively whipped out her water and twisted around on the ball of her foot, splashing it into his face and breathing it frozen. The predator silently shifted back into the dark shadows of the alley.

Katara dropped her basket or fish, running back to camp as fast as she possibly could.

---

"Zuko," Katara yelled, storming back into camp. Toph and Sokka were relaxing near Appa and watching Zuko and Aang fire bend, their eyes glazed over in boredom.

"What is it?" He asked, sending Aang off for a moment to cool down. Katara waited until Aang was farther than hearing distance before she began.

Katara leaned in closely to Zuko's face, his eye brow cocked.

"What have you been up to today?" She said quietly, although the intenseness was still swimming in her tone.

"I've been training with Aang the entire time," Zuko took a step away from her, "why are you asking?"

"So you haven't left the group at all today?" she ignored his subject-changing questions, the tone of her voice becoming more urgent.

"No, honest!" He replied hesitantly, "why?" he tried again.

"Oh, no reason," she brushed off his shoulder and strolled away.

Katara walked around Appa to his other side where Toph and Sokka weren't. She faced the thick, dark woods and sat down in the shadows and cool, crisp shade. As she looked up, it took every ounce of her body not to scream out, her sitting face to face, twenty feet away, from the Blue Spirit mask.

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A/N: hey, you guys. Thanks for reading! I'm experimenting with my "darker side" of writing(: hope it was enough to capture you! I think this could be just a dark one shot, but if enough people like it, I'll make a few more alluring chapters...yes?

Review and tell me what you think so far and if I should keep going!


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